Every good workout begins with mat work! Ballet Beautiful founder Mary Helen Bowers shares a few of her favorite exercises from her new video series, debuting online next month.

Lengthen Your Bod "Stretching before and after every workout keeps muscles supple and helps elongate the lines of a ballerina's limbs," says Bowers. "Begin by lying on your back and bringing your leg above you, pulling the ankle gently toward your head. Work toward stretching your knee all the way straight over time. Change legs."

Sneak Peek: Natalie Portman’s Ballet Workout

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Be Ab-Fab: "For a ballerina, the center of balance is everything—creating a strong center of balance begins with building strong abdominal muscles," says Bowers. "Lie on your back with your knees slightly bent and the arms open wide in second position. Lift the body up, contracting the abs as you close the arms to first position—a wide yet graceful circle with the hands—just above the abdomen. Pull the stomach in, closing and opening the arms as you lift up and lower. Repeat 30 times."